Several San Antonio business owners are grappling with restoration costs after vandals hit their shops over the weekend. The damage occurred after at least three suites in a retail strip on the Northwest Side were severely damaged.
The plaza is located within the Woodlawn Shopping Center and the Deco District neighborhood. When MySA visited the site on Monday, October 12, cardboard and tape covered the broken windows of Brainwave Records, Black Potion and House Party Improv.
Kristina Uriegas-Reyes, owner of the vintage boutique Hello Tallulah, tells MySA that the incidents happened at around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 11. She described the event on social media as “insane.”
“I heard a crash next door and saw a man in [a] teal shirt walk past my door,” Uriegas-Reyes told MySA. “I went outside to see what the noise was. Someone had thrown a brick through Brainwave Record’s window.”
While she was peering outside, she heard another loud noise.
“I saw the teal man walking away,” Uriegas-Reyes said. “There are little tables around Black Potion. The man threw a table through the window.”
Brainwave Records is relatively new to the area, opening in February 2025, according to The Paisano. In posts on Instagram, the business thanked family, friends, and customers for their support following the incident. It is operating on its normal Monday schedule, from noon to 6 p.m.
Black Potion, a family tavern that features beer, wine, and board games, opened in June 2022. House Party Improv is also based inside the suite. The companies have not shared any details about the event on Instagram or Facebook as of Monday at 11 a.m. MySA reached out to both businesses but did not hear back in time for publication.
“Something similar has happened to other businesses like [The] Starlighter that I know of,” Uriegas-Reyes said. “We just recently had a graffiti incident tag three of our businesses, and I had an unhoused woman steal a jacket from me. For the most part, though, I’ve never had any issues.”
Nearby music venue The Starlighter was forced to cancel a show in 2022 after someone shattered its glass window and front doors, according to a past report. Co-founder Jacob Guerrero and staff went on to host a raffle to raise money for repairs.
Founded in 2017, Hello Tallulah offers 1950s-70s style women’s clothing and a curation of local artisan jewelry, according to its Facebook page. The shop, directly adjacent to the impacted suites, was not touched.
“I actually love the neighborhood and it’s full of a lot of historical charm,” Uriegas-Reyes said. “I was the only thing there for a while, along with the Woodlawn Theatre and I’ve seen it grow tremendously.”
MySA reached out to the San Antonio Police Department for more information. This story will be updated as new information becomes available.